id: 06322850
dt: j
an: 2014e.00506
au: Verdine, Brian N.; Irwin, Casey M.; Golinkoff, Roberta Michnick;
Hirsh-Pasek, Kathryn
ti: Contributions of executive function and spatial skills to preschool
mathematics achievement.
so: J. Exp. Child Psychol. 126, 37-51 (2014).
py: 2014
pu: Elsevier, Amsterdam
la: EN
cc: G21 C31
ut: executive function; preschool; geometric skills; spatial skills; school
readiness
ci:
li: doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2014.02.012
ab: Summary: Early mathematics achievement is highly predictive of later
mathematics performance. Here we investigated the influence of
executive function (EF) and spatial skills, two generalizable skills
often overlooked in mathematics curricula, on mathematics performance
in preschoolers. Children ($ N=44$) of varying socioeconomic status
(SES) levels were assessed at 3 years of age on a new assessment of
spatial skill (test of spatial assembly, TOSA) and a vocabulary measure
(peabody picture vocabulary test, PPVT). The same children were tested
at 4 years of age on the Beery test of visual-motor integration (VMI)
as well as on measures of EF and mathematics. The TOSA was created
specifically as an assessment for 3-year-olds, allowing the
investigation of links among spatial, EF, and mathematical skills
earlier than previously possible. Results of a hierarchical regression
indicate that EF and spatial skills predict 70\% of the variance in
mathematics performance without an explicit math test, EF is an
important predictor of math performance as prior research suggested,
and spatial skills uniquely predict 27\% of the variance in mathematics
skills. Additional research is needed to understand whether EF is truly
malleable and whether EF and spatial skills may be leveraged to support
early mathematics skills, especially for lower SES children who are
already falling behind in these skill areas by 3 and 4years of age.
These findings indicate that both skills are part of an important
foundation for mathematics performance and may represent pathways for
improving school readiness for mathematics.
rv: